Patria positions Czech industry at centre of 8X8 vehicle push

Patria has signed memoranda of understanding (MoUs) on future cooperation with key state-owned enterprises under the Czech Ministry of Defence.

The agreements mark a step towards involving the domestic defence industry in a programme to re-equip the Czech Armed Forces with a new eight-by-eight wheeled armoured vehicle platform. Patria also maintains a long-standing partnership in the country with STV Group, a Czech manufacturer and supplier of military equipment.

- Patria has decades of proven expertise in the development of armoured vehicles, and technology transfer is a natural part of our business model, said Panu Routila, Patria’s president and chief executive.

The move comes as Prague advances plans to procure new armoured vehicles.

According to the Ministry of Defence, three platforms have been assessed as suitable: the Pandur II eight-by-eight (Steyr-Daimler-Puch Spezialfahrzeug), the Piranha III eight-by-eight (Mowag) and the Patria AMV eight-by-eight.

In January, the Czech government approved an offer from Steyr-Daimler-Puch to produce and deliver 234 wheeled armoured personnel carriers for the armed forces.

The Austrian proposal is valued at 23.6 billion Czech crowns (967 million euro).

Patria is offering the Czech Republic the latest version of its combat-proven armoured modular vehicle platform, the AMV XP eight-by-eight CZ.

The AMV is in service with multiple armed forces worldwide, with established operational use and interoperability.

The cooperation is intended to support a long-term industrial partnership.

If implemented, Patria said the project would deliver significant domestic industrial participation, including technology transfer and capability development across Czech state-owned and private enterprises in production, maintenance and further vehicle development.